Brave 2: Time warped
by TheEmeraldArcher
Summary: A young man tries to go back in time to find his true love, Mérida DunBroch.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there! Second brave fanfic, this is set just a few weeks later after the events of the movie but has no direct relation with my story "Brave 2: The lowlander". This is more like another sequel that could take place instead of the other one. Choose your favorite! And yeah this is under the "crossover" category because it´s basically a carbon copy of "Somewhere in time" but with "Brave" characters (this would probably be a good moment to state that I own neither of both). Hope this doesn't put you off reading it! Enjoy and please don´t forget to review! **

The Aberdeen city high school bus gave a high thump as it passed over a bump in the road, the boys and girls inside; most between the ages of 16 and 17, complained.

Richard Macintosh was one of them, sitting next to his best friend Jonathan.

-Hey- he whispered- Want to see something cool? - He took the gym bag he had hidden under his seat and opened it slowly, carefully. He revealed the contents to his friend, inside was a compound bow with several arrows.

-Are you crazy dude? The principal´s gonna get you expelled if she realizes you brought that to the field trip!-

-She won´t…realize. Besides it´s not every day we get to see DunBroch castle, I just want a few practice shots in the clearing behind it-

-Yeah but the place is now a museum not an archery range!-

-I think I deserve it; I had to work my ass of at McDonald´s to afford this beauty-

-I think you already told me that story, ´bout a hundred times. It´s just you carry it around all the time, it´s really getting on my nerves-

The bus stops mere yards from a stone bridge connecting to the ancient building, the outer walls and some towers are visible. Most of them have been restored but a small part is still ancient and would almost seem to be falling apart.

As the group abandons the vehicle Richard throws the gym bag over his shoulder.

The principal, a middle-aged plump woman, speaks in front of the group –Ok everyone, I expect you to behave in a civil way. This castle is among the most ancient and well preserved of its kind in Scotland and I think we would learn a great deal if we pay attention- The group crosses the bridge and walks through the gateway, looking around. They stop in front of the entrance to the castle´s great hall. An old man with a mustache in a gray suit is the guide, the tour begins; but just before Richard can cross the entrance the principal grabs him by the shoulder –Just where do you think you´re going young man? - She says as she takes the gym bag –Yes I know what is inside and don´t you think I´ll be giving it back to you. Your parents will have to pick it up personally from my office- She scolds –Now try to enjoy your visit and we´ll talk about this, first thing tomorrow-

Cursing under his breath Richard follows his partners into the museum.

The great hall is a vast room with several replicas of thrones, glass cases and a staircase to the left leading to other exhibits.

A few weapons, clothes, stuffed animals.

Richard walks next to them without paying attention to the guide´s words. –Richard! Yo! - He snaps his neck to see Jon calling -What?-

-Look at this dude…wait a sec, what happened to your bow?-

-The principal took it-

-Bummer, anyway; look at this, scary isn´t it? - Indeed, it´s a portrait, depicting a young man that would look exactly like Richard if he had been transported into the past.

-Ehem…excuse me? - He asks the guide –Who is him?-

-That, young man; is none other than the firstborn of Lord Macintosh. His father led a cavalry charge against the Viking invaders near the year 1000- He continues to explain as they exchange whispers.

-Did he say Macintosh? - John asks. Richard nods. –Think you´re related? - He shrugs.

-…he was also one of the three sons of the lords to compete for the hand of princess Mérida DunBroch-

-Okay…and who is that?-

The guide smiles playfully –Follow me-

He leads them towards the staircase and upstairs to a separate, much smaller room.

-This exhibit is dedicated completely to her. Enjoy yourselves and fell free to ask any questions you´ve got-

The three of them look at the exhibits carefully. Most of them are tapestries depicting a girl with fiery, wild hair and a blue dress; or bears. A specific exhibit draws his attention.

It´s a bow inside a glass case, surprisingly well conserved to be more than 1000 years old. The plate under it reads "This weapon belonged to Princess Mérida DunBroch; her skills as an archer were famed all over the Scottish highlands."

-She was just as crazy as you –

-Yeah, how do you reckon she looked like? –

-Dude- John points at a portrait in the far end of the room. What Richard sees leaves him wordless, a girl not much younger than him, the one in the tapestry; fiery wild hair, a soft face but a determined, curious look in her eyes, slightly red cheeks and lips as thin as the rest of her body forming a smile; she would almost seem to be looking at him.

His eyes widen, his breathing stops for a moment, his heart skips a dozen beats and there is no doubt in his mind now, love at first sight does exist –She is…beautiful-


	2. Chapter 2

**Second and short chapter. Even though you possibly know where this is leading to, hope you enjoy and please review.**

Richard spent the next week visiting the museum everyday as well as searching information on the net. Everything he could learn about the princess he would instantly absorb.

He learned a great deal indeed. Mérida was born in July the 5th of 988 and had three younger brothers called Hubert, Harris and Hamish. His father, king Fergus, had united the four clans; McGuffin, Dingwall, Macintosh and DunBroch in an alliance against the Vikings and had a personal vendetta against a bear he called Mor´du which meant "Demon Bear". Apparently the clan was quite enthusiastic when it came to bears as there were several stories involving Queen Elinor transforming into such an animal but Richard considered such to be gibberish.

And for days he searched until there was not a bit of information about the clan that he was ignorant of, but still it wasn´t enough, he was in love and there was no price too high to pay in time or effort. He was determined; he would give everything he possessed for a moment, an instant with her.

For days he didn´t slept or ate thinking, imagining what he would do if he had the chance. Cursing fate for being born 1000 years too late.

It was in one of those sleepless night when he had the idea; it began almost as a fantasy, just the last ditch attempt to accomplish a dream he knew would never be possible. He went to Google and searched "Time travel". The first few links were Wikipedia articles and Yahoo answers revolving around the subject but he finally found what he was looking for "Time travel IS possible!" He clicked on the link and read anxiously as text appeared on the screen.

-According to Doctor Gerard Finney Time travel could no longer belong in the realm of science fiction. His book titled "Time travel" published in the 1970´s explains how, through a series of hypnotic suggestions he was able to, according to him, experience a brief shift in time. To quote the book "…I was staying in a hotel in Venice at the time. The place itself was old, very old. But not just the buildings, the furniture, the drapes, everything around me belonged a century or more into the past; the atmosphere of the place was heavy with time. And so I told myself –What if I tried to convince my mind that it´s not really 1971 but 1571? - And I began to repeat to myself over and over and over again –It´s August 12th 1571 , you're in your room in hotel DelVeccio- Trying to convince my mind to accept it…" he continues "…if it really worked I will never know for sure, it was less than a fraction of an instant, there were things around me that obviously belonged in the present…" –Curiously enough he finishes his book with advice for future time travelers to take up his work- "…if I were to try it again, mind you I don´t have any desire to do so, I would get rid of everything that could remind me of the present…"-

Richard need read no further, he quickly turned off his computer and began planning for the experiment.


	3. Chapter 3

**Shortest chapter yet, enjoy!**

First thing the next morning he headed downtown to a costume shop. The place wasn´t too big and was painted white. Hanging from the walls you could see attires of superheroes, cowboys, monsters and animals. Behind the counter a young lady greeted him –Hello. May I help you?-

He cleared his throat before speaking –Yes, I´m looking for a typical Scottish attire, you know kind of the ones you would see in the "Highlander" movie-

-Of course, wait a minute please- The lady stood up and began searching between the rows of costumes until she finally found what she was looking for. The costume itself involved a cloak and a sort of shirt, a belt, a plaid and (much to his dismay) a skirt.

-How much do I owe you?-

-That would be 50 pounds-

He headed back home and once inside his room he looked in the mirror. He slowly got rid of his t-shirt and cargo pants and replaced them with the costume. He studied his reflection carefully "Not too shabby" he told himself.

He turned around as he heard someone opening the door –Mom! Could you please knock the door? – The tall and thin woman with black curly hair glared at him.

- Richard, the principal called, again. She said you took your bow to a field trip-

-Err, yes…I was about to tell you, because it seems you´ll have to, ehem…retrieve from her office-

-I already did- She tosses something from her pocket. Richard quickly catches it in midair and looks at it in his hand. It´s a hunting tip from one of his arrows.

-And that´s all you´ll see of your precious bow until you learn to behave correctly- With that she slams the door shut but opens it again in less than a second –Why are you dressed like that?-

-It´s medieval week at school- He quickly lies. His mother abandons the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Richard looks around him cautiously, stealth has never been one of his strong points and sneaking into a museum would be hard even for a ninja. For him is something next to impossible. The last rays of sunlight are still coming through the windows as he walks past the same exhibits he has visited so many times before.

Most of the guards have already gone home and the few that remain are alerting the visitors that the museum is about to close.

His only hope is to remain unseen, blending into a crowd isn´t exactly easy when you are wearing something that would make you look like an extra for "Highlander". Somehow he manages to sneak his way through the main halls and up the stairs, if cameras have seen him it doesn´t show. Most of the castles hallways are full of displays but there is a place, a single corridor that is closed by yellow plastic tapes. "WARNING" "NO ENTRY" they read, the corridor leads to the only part of the castle that hasn´t yet be refurbished.

He crosses over them and tries to find a room. After several attempts he chooses the one that seems fit. No glass on the windows, no furniture of any kind, no sound, just the chilly air and the dim sun coming through the ancient window and the stone walls.

He sits on the ground in a position that almost seems comfortable (actually it´s just a tiny bit less than intolerable) and closes his eyes.

It´s madness, there is no way this will work. "Maybe" he thinks "but what other hope we have left?"

-It´s August the first 1004, you are in DunBroch castle, home of Princess Mérida. She, her father king Fergus and her mother Queen Elinor are here in this same instant. In a moment you will open your eyes, walk down the staircase and meet them. It´s August the first 1004…- Hours passed and the sun went down but he didn´t stop, he would achieve this or die trying –It´s August the first 1004...- The stars and the moon appeared on the sky –August the first 1004- Hours of restlessly repeating the phrase in his head had taken its toll. His eyes were slowly closing and nodding himself off to sleep, he repeated it one last time before falling asleep –August 1the first 1004- He drifted to a dreamless sleep.

The sunlight coming from the window woke him up, he looked around and for a moment he was confused, where was he? Then the last night´s memories came flooding in and disappointment washed over him. Nothing in the room was different, he had failed, and how would he explain why he hadn´t gone home at night? He stood up and walked towards the exit only to crash face first with a solid wooden door. A door…that hadn´t been there yesterday.

In that moment he almost became crazy of sheer joy, he gave a leap into the air and pumped his fist, giving a scream of glee. He opened the door and walked into the corridor, everything was so different now, torches and tapestries decorated the walls. In his awe he ran into a plump lady around her thirties wearing a white dress that definitely didn´t belonged to the 21st century, instead of asking for forgiveness he took her firmly by the cheeks and laid a kiss on her. The lady gave an almighty scream and ran off in the opposite direction.

He followed slowly, his fondness and amazement growing with every step he gave.

Finally he reached the staircase that lead to the great hall. Voices could be heard, some singed, some argued, the sounds of steel clashing with steel could also be heard.

He looked down and was greeted with a feast, men and women ate sitting in four long tables set on the hall. Two black dogs ran around collecting scraps. And four thrones rose in the far end of the hall with seven figures upon them.

One of them was a very big man with beard and mustache; one leg missing; King Fergus as he recognized from the tapestries. The other was of course Queen Elinor, thin, with long black hair not unlike his mother but younger than her. Three identical figures filled the third throne, boys, maybe 7 years old, all with fiery hair. And in the fourth one, she sat. He couldn´t stop himself from gaping, it was too much for one day; and she was even more beautiful in person.

The feast continued, no one seemed to notice him. None that is, but the lady he had kissed, she ran in short, almost comical steps towards the king and began gesturing, he couldn't hear what she said. And apparently neither could the king as he let out a roar –Maudie! Calm down an speak once and fer all!-

The woman screamed more than talk but Richard could make out what she said – Young Macintosh is in the castle!-

The conversation died abruptly and everyone looked at him, noticing for the first time.

-How dare you enter my home like this? Macintosh…- the king hissed.

"Uh Oh"


	5. Chapter 5

Many thoughts crossed his head in an instant. First there was the fact that they actually believed he was young Macintosh. Then there was a man twice as tall as him and at least four times as heavy ready to kill him with his bare hands and he hadn´t even had a chance to explain himself. But after all what could he say? Hello my name is Richard Macintosh and I just traveled a thousand years from the future to meet your daughter? He then made a quick decision, trying to match the heavy accent without much success he answers -Aye your majesty, to be truthful I have no memory of how I got here. But you seem to believe me to be my brother, my name is Richard Macintosh and I swear that I have no intention of harmin´ anyone and I am sorry for this confusion-

This is beyond strange, the king meditates; Lord Macintosh never mentioned another son, he secretly expects his wife to intervene, after all she has always been the diplomat; in the end he follows his instincts, acts like a warrior -Oh but shall be even more, you must surely be a spy sent by your father, isn´t that true? - He states drawing his sword from the hilt. Every eye is fixed on them, changing from the stranger to the king.

-Fergus- The calm voice of the queen intervenes. Richard breaths relieved. -Let us hear what he has to say- Richard walks down the stairs and into the hall, everyone´s gaze follows.

Once he is at floor level the Queen continues –Richard, you must surely be aware that Lord Macintosh has never mentioned having another son…- Things are going well, they are buying it, if he can keep it up just a little longer he might be able to pull it off.

-Your majesty, we all know that my Da can be a wee bit eccentric-

-Just a wee bit? - Then king murmurs.

- You do not seem to be much older than your brother, which is the reason you did not participate in the games a month ago, when we called for all the Great Lords firstborns? -

-He and I were twins, he was born mere minutes before myself and so he is the firstborn- "It´s a good lie" he thinks.

-Very well, I will write to Lord Macintosh immediately to notify this, he must be worried; you say you have no recollection of how you got here?-

-None your Majesty, I was sleeping peacefully and when I woke up I was here- "At least that is partially truth" Wait? Did she said she would write to his "father"? His whole charade would crumble! –But your Majesty there is no need to notify my… father- He cringed a bit in this last part- if I may, I would like to stay in the castle for today to rest and gather provisions, so I could leave for my home tomorrow morning –

The queen seems to consider for a while before replying –Very well, you will be assigned a place to sleep and be given shelter for today, you may roam the castle but you will leave tomorrow at dawn- She turn to face the crowd that is still looking at them –Return to you, ehem…chores- The king looks at her surprised, it´s the first time he can remember his wife lacking the proper words.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the delay, experiencing a nasty episode of "writer´s block".**

Phase one was complete, now he only needed to talk to her. He waited for an appropriate moment, after breakfast, to explore the castle and find out where Mérida had gone. He had several run-ins with the woman, he had learned, was called Maudie. Every time they faced each other she would turn tail and walk in the opposite direction. He was also tripped over several times by the triplets he had seen that morning, Mérida´s brothers.

After asking several times to different persons he finally discovered that she usually left the castle in her horse, Angus, to practice archery.

And that meant trouble, he was a very good archer, an experienced rock-climber, and could even be catalogued as a descent swordsman; but he had no experience whatsoever in riding a horse (it seemed obsolete and useless back at home), that summed up to the fact that he didn´t owned a horse and that stealing one would probably get him into bigger trouble yet, only left him with one choice: walking.

He crossed the gates and the stone bridge, walking deeper into the woods. The morning air was chilly and he could see his breath rising in small clouds.

He kept his head up. Listening for any sound that could lead him to her, it finally came.

It was unmistakably a horse´s gallop, coming closer every second, and the occasional music of the string being released.

Turning his head to where the sounds were coming from he say a big, black Clydesdale coming towards him; Mérida on him.

She pulled the reins and the horse stopped –Easy Angus- She said, and patted it on the neck as she dismounted.

-Hello- He greeted

Her answer was a little harsher than expected –What are you doing here Macintosh?-He had never been any good talking to girls, but this time the words seemed to flow out of his mouth.

-I wanted to talk to you, I traveled a long way for that Mérida, longer than you can imagine-

- I though you said you had no memory of how you got here…-

-And that is true, I don´t know how I got into the castle, but I do remember making a very long, very difficult journey…and I know why I did it-

-And why would that be?-

An awkward silence followed, Richard cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject – Is that a bow? - He gestured towards the piece of wood protruding from the horse´s back. Mérida seemed grateful for the direction this conversation had taken.

-Aye- she answers, taking her weapon.

-My brother told me you were rather good with it- Mérida seems offended

-You brother was also an arrogant, full-of-himself, attention-craving…- She stops to take breath and Richard interrupts.

-I am not like him-

-And I am much better than "rather good"- To demonstrate she takes an arrow and knocks it in place. She draws back and shoots at a target Richard hadn´t seen; a piece of wood with a red dot painted on it, a perfect bull's-eye.

He smiles –Can I give it a try? –

She is curious and holds the bow and an arrow for him to take, his brother wasn´t very good, would he be any different?

He examines the weapon carefully; it IS the same he had seen on display, to the smallest detail. It´s smaller, lighter, more practical than his compound; but also less powerful and accurate.

He readies the shot, feeling a bit nostalgic for his sights, and lets go. The arrow lands next to the one Mérida had shot.

-Ya are much better than your brother-

-I try my best- Before silence can fall again Richard seeks for something to talk about –And what are ya doing today?-

-I intend to practice some more, then I will return to the castle. My mother still intends to teach me how to be a "proper princess"-

-What is wrong with the way you are?-

-I do not know, I would expect that, with everything that happened a month ago she would...- Just then she realizes what he asked. Could it be? Someone who understood her? Who had the same questions as her? And who could maybe, provide the answers? –Anyway- She doubts for a moment –Would you like to come?-

His face lightens –I would love to-

-Come on then- She jumps onto Angus.

-What…me...on… a horse?-

-But I have never, mounted one before- He admits.

-But you father, he lead that cavalry charge three years ago, didn´t he?-

He shrugs, a honest look in his face. And she sighs. –There´s a first time for everything-

He mounts behind Mérida, on the horse´s back that complains –It´s okay Angus-

They ride through the woods for hours, talking or shooting. Exchanging tips and tricks. Growing fond of each other's company. The sun begins to set. –We should go back to the castle- She suggests and turns Angus around. Richard still can´t believe all of this is real; he looks around, absorbing every detail of the forest. So different now from what it will be in the future. "The future" Those words are beginning to lost meaning, why go back? This is his chance, to be happy, to truly live. This is home. That´s when he sees it, a bright blue light, tiny; not more than two inches tall, almost seems to dance in the forest´s ground –What is that?- He asks, pointing in that direction .

Mérida turns around to see and a smile appears on her face –It´s a wisp-


	7. Chapter 7

"Wisp" he had heard that word before. According to folklore those were a kind of fairies or spirits that lead people to their fates. Scientists said that they were simply gases that lit up in swamps, but now he knew they were plain wrong; that thing seemed…alive, it lured them to follow.

-Come on- She says, and without much as a heartbeat hesitation she makes Angus follow the lights, a small path of them that lured them away from the forest.

-Do you know where we´re going? - He asks; as an answer she nods.

-The fire falls-

He doesn´t know what that means so he keeps silence and lets her lead the reins, following the "wisps".

Finally the forest begins to recede and he can see them towering 200 feet over their heads, walls of rock and lines of water. Majestic, glittering with the light of the sun, waterfalls.

Two main pillars rise in front of them; one is maybe 20 feet taller than the other and much thicker.

From the ground a single spot of blue light is visible, floating over the shorter column.

-I guess we´ll have to climb-

Both of them dismounted and he stared at the granite wall. He had heard about guys like Den Potter and Alex Honnold do free solos, climbing without a rope, and had always wanted to try. Of course his parents had never approved, but now they weren´t here.

-Let´s do et- The thick accent was beginning to come easier every time.

Mérida is surprised, he had never met anyone who would do this other than herself, and secretly she expected him to back away.

-After you- Richard said and Mérida began to climb. He could see most of the handholds where big and the rock was solid, two things that would make the ascent easier and safer.

He followed, placing extra care of his footholds, the leather his boots were made of couldn´t compare to the high friction rubber of the shoes he used to climb with.

Handhold, pull, foothold, push, he had done it so many times before.

Finally they reached the top of the pillar only for the light to disappear and reappear again, several feet over them, on top of the main column.

Fear drawed upon her face –There is no way of going further, where the wisp is leading us-

Richard examined the situation, the pillar they were standing on was wide enough to sit and walk around comfortably. A 9 feet gap separated them from the other wall, a big ledge waited on the other side. They could of course climb down and then up again on the main column, but the water coming down would make it much more dangerous, and there was always a possibility that the difficulty was greater that way. So he chose a more radical solution. –We´ll jump-

Mérida wasn´t a coward, she had proved that many times over, but this was insane.

Richard smiled -I´ll go first- It was easy, another dyno at the gym. He took a deep breath a prepared for the jump, walking as far away as possible to gather momentum, then sprinting and jumping at the last possible moment.

The instant in midair was wonderful, exhilarating. Air rushed at his sides and his palms made contact with the wall, gripping firmly to the ledge and pulling himself up. It was bigger than he had expected, even big enough to sit on, so he did.

-Come on!-

Mérida doubted for a second before following him, and for an instant it seemed she would make it.

Her hands made contact with the wall, but something that shouldn´t have happened, did; the rock snapped, she fell...


	8. Chapter 8

-MÉRIDA! - He cried, and launched himself forward. One hand outstretched towards her, the other hanging to the ledge, he caught one of her hands. -AAAARRRGH!- A sharp pain ran through his side, obviously part of the effort, his face was red and every muscle strained to maintain hold. He began to pull while she pushed from the wall with her feet, finally she was able to grab the ledge and pull up. Both sat there panting, looking at the sky and the magnificent forest that grew in front of them. The wisp still called.

-Come on, this isn´t over –

Both of them continued to climb the last few feet separating them from the top, when they arrived they beheld a marvelous sight. Forest, a forest over the fire falls; and in the middle of it all a crystal clear lake. They began to explore.

He couldn´t help but asking -Why did the wisps lead us here?-

She shrugged; movement to the left! By instinct she readied an arrow but she didn´t saw the bear she had learned to expect. It was a horse, white as the purest snow. It stared at them.

Richard snorted -A horse? You mean we climbed the firefalls so I could learn to mount?-

-I guess so - But she knew something was wrong something she couldn´t quite put her finger on.

He began to mount, slowly, when he was finally on top of it he smiled –That wasn´t too hard, wot now?-

"How did a horse got here anyway?" She told herself, the answer hit her like a ton of bricks –Richard no! - But it was too late; the white horse sprinted towards the lake, Richard on it.

Kelpie, a demon that took the shape of a horse to lure travelers, once they mounted it, its skin became sticky and it raced towards the closest river or lake to drown the victim and devour it.

It was a long shot but she was willing to try, what else could she do? She took aim and fired, the arrow whispered through the air, close to her target but a miss.

Again, remain calm, take aim, fire.

The creature fell to the ground, throwing Richard of it. It shivered, trying to get up, another shot and it laid still.

Richard stood up and shook off the dust before looking at her in the eye –Thank you-

Bothe walked towards the ledge of the falls - I guess we´re even?-

She smiled as they began to climb down –Aye-


	9. Chapter 9

When they make it back to the castle night is falling, the last rays of sunlight are visible in the horizon.

They go in through the main hall but Mérida´s parents are nowhere to be seen.

However Maudie is there. She still seems frightened about Richard but seeing Mérida with him calms her down.

-Young Macintosh- she mumbles –There is a room waiting for you upstairs and provisions ready for your journey-

-Thank you-

Maudie gives a small bow and disappears of a corridor.

-Well, it seems that I´ll leave tomorrow- He doesn´t know what else to say, what to do; other than –Good night princess- He gives a bow to her and starts walking up the stairs.

But now Mérida is determined, he isn´t like his brother, or like any other suitor he has met by the way. She looks for her mother in the castle and finally finds her in her room, staring at the tapestry they had made together a month ago; her father isn´t there.

-Mérida- she salutes –Is everything alright?-

-Aye mother, where is Da? -

-Practicing with his giant stuffed bear- She casts her a look, they know each other better than most mothers and daughters will ever do, she knows something worries her –What is it Mérida? You know you can tell me…besides, it can´t be any worse than what we have passed through-

-It´s about Ri… young Macintosh´s brother-

-Aye, he will leave tomorrow morning-

-Mother…must he?-

And then she understands, whatever happened during the day, changed her –Your father doesn´t like him, I really don't know why. He is really set on that he leaves tomorrow-

-But mom…-

-But- she interrupts looking into her daughter´s blue eyes –I will do my best to convince him otherwise-

Mérida smiles thankfully –Thank you- She turns around and leaves.

Queen Elinor smiles, is this really the girl that merely a month ago had asked help from a witch to avoid a marriage? What was so special about this boy? It doesn't matter, after all a suitor is always a suitor and if she chose him, things can´t get any better.

She looks for her husband and indeed he is still throwing all sorts of weapons at the life size stuffed bear.

-Fergus-

The bear-king turns to look at her and smiles –Elinor! What is it my love? - He says in his booming voice.

-Fergus it´s about Mérida-

-Oh geez, wot has she done this time?-

-She hasn´t done anything wrong…I think that she might finally chose a suitor-

He suddenly frowns -The Macintosh boy? -

-Aye-

He turns around and keeps engaging his stuffed foe.

-Fergus wot is it? This is the way things were supposed to be from the beginning-

He doubts before answering –I don´t know…there is something about him, he…like he didn´t belong here-

-He is a Macintosh, so wot?-

-Not that. Call it an Old's man imagination but, he comes from somewhere even further away-

The queens' expression softens -You fear he may leave and hurt Mérida- It isn´t a question.

-Fergus, everything will be alright- She caresses her husband´s check- let´s just give the boy a chance. Would you allow for him to stay another day?-

The king takes her hand softly and looks into her eyes –Aye-

-Thank you Fergus-

Their lips meet.

The queen then goes back to her Daughter´s room , as she opens the door the red-haired princess looks at her expectantly –I did it- Is the only thing she says.

Mérida´s face glows with joy.

Now in the room he´s been assigned (with some simple furniture as a bed and a table) Richard contemplates the night sky, filled with stars as he had never seen back at home, the city had too many lights to allow it.

He is still worried about tomorrow, how will he see the princess if he is supposed to leave.

A knock on the door brings him back to reality. He opens and is greeted again, by the sight of Maudie.

She flinches a bit as he opens -Young Macintosh- she says – The king and Queen humbly invite you to be out guest for one more day- She doesn´t seem very happy about giving this news but Richard is in raptures. It´s a miracle! He manages to restrain himself from kissing her again and only says –Of course I accept your invitation. Thank you very much- And then closes the door. He goes to sleep with a smile in his face.


	10. Chapter 10

**Not by best chapter, it´s just that I didn´t knew how to write this scene. Hope I did a decent job.**

Richard woke up the following morning with a sharp pain in his side, he must have pulled something yesterday, after all it´s not every day you pull up 130 pounds in one arm. He longed for a bath.

He pushed the pain and discomfort out of his head as he headed downstairs, where breakfast was already taking place, in a scene very similar to the one he had witnessed yesterday.

He sat down among the men and women in the hall and peeped at some of the dishes that were set over the tables.

Actually he wasn´t hungry, but he pretended to eat, all the while looking at Mérida who had noticed him. They exchanged looks and smiles for what remained of breakfast and once most of the clansmen had left to their daily chores both headed towards the great hall´s gates.

They stand in front of each other, both smile, expecting for the other one to take the initiative.

It´s Mérida who does –Ehem…Richard, I´m going to practice, would you like to come?-

-I´d love to- He starts walking towards the courtyard but she doesn´t move –Is something wrong?-

-Well, shouldn´t you bring your bow?-

-To be honest, I don´t have one-

-You don´t have a bow! - She laughs –We´ll fix that right away, come on! - She drags him out of the castle to the forest. Richard is amazed contemplating the sea of green extending everywhere.

-Choose a tree- She instructs him. Together they do so and cut off a branch, they take of the bark and shape it, Richard even adds a series of pins over the arrow rest to act as sights; when Mérida asks what are they for he explains, finally they polish it and harden it with fire before stringing it.

After that they spend some time shooting and decide to go to the docks, where merely a month ago the Lords arrived. A small sculler waits for them and they ship.

Richard humming while he rows.

-It´s a beautiful tune, how is it called?-

Actually it´s "I don't want to miss a thing" By Aerosmith, but how could he explain that to her?

-It´s a nameless song from my land- He lies, smiling.

And the day goes on, the best day he has ever lived, the perfect day.

As they walk back to the castle holding hands Richard can´t contain himself much longer. Back at home this would seem terribly rushed, but this is after all, the tenth century, when marriages were decided and took place without the fiancés knowing each other, or barely doing so. Most of the times marriages were imposed by their parents.

And he knows which will her answer be, a special glow appears in her eyes every time they are together. "Just do it" he urges himself.

-Richard…- she begins doubtful, and he freezes, listening, could it be…? – I…wot I feel right now, it´s unlike anything I´ve ever felt before. I have lived without it my whole life and I´m sorry I couldn´t recognize it at first- She stops to take breath and the whole world seems to stop with her –Richard, would you marry me?-

In a single fluid motion he hugs her and lifts her of the ground, holding her close to him –Mérida! Of course I will! - And they share they first kiss, warm, sweet, too many things to describe.

They go back to the castle, both of them smiling. Now they need only to give the news to her parents and everything will be settled.

Once again they search the castle, but they are only able to find her mother. It´s Mérida who will give the news. –You wait here- she says when they are both outside her room. She goes in alone.

-Mom? Where is Da? - She asks, worried but happy.

-I´m not sure darling, is there anything you need to talk about?-

-It´s just that…- She begins smiling, not sure how to continue. She finally decides that the shortest way is possibly the best - Richard and I are getting married-

The Queen pulls her daughter to a hug and fills her with kisses, it´s a miracle.

-You have my blessing-

She then instantly begins to work in the preparations for tomorrow.

-Wot did she said?-

-She approves, we´ll be married tomorrow-

He couldn´t be happier, he can do it, it´s so close he can taste it; love.

Both of them walk up the stairs towards his room, he lies down on his bed and closes his eyes in happiness. He opens them again when he feels something warm and heavy on his chest.

It´s Mérida, who has cuddled next to him, the pain on his side has retunerd, something hurts him, cuts into his skin , going deeper because of her weight, but he wouldn´t interrupt this for the greatest pain on the world . He slowly starts caressing her hair, fiery, soft, beautiful, unruly hair; just like her.

-I love you- The words escape her lips before she even realizes.

-So do I- He says, caressing her cheek, maybe "I love you too" would have been better.

She closes her eyes softly, a silence follows, perfect silence that could last forever, but that he knows must end.

-The nameless song from my land…-

-Aye?-

-It has lyrics, would you like to hear it?-

She lets out a small giggle –I´d love too-

He clears his throat to tune his voice, he was never an amazing singer but he´ll try his best. He begins.

- I could stay awake just to hear you breathing- he sings it slower than the original song, trying his best to make it seem real medieval music.

-Watch you smile while you are sleeping

While you're far away and dreaming

I could spend my life in this sweet surrender

I could stay lost in this moment forever

Where every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure- Mérida looks at him, wondered.

-I don´t want to close my eyes

I don't want to fall asleep

Because I'd miss you- He intentionally omits the "baby" part, for the sake of everything.

-And I don't want to miss a thing

Cause even when I dream of you

The sweetest dream will never do

I'd still miss you

And I don't want to miss a thing-

And he keeps on singing, when the song finishes he notices Mérida has fallen asleep on him. He smiles and closes his eyes too, drifting to a dreamless, quiet sleep. Perfect, everything is… perfect.

Or so they think, little do they know that many miles away, King Fergus heads toward the Macintosh lands, minded on taking to the Lord and settle this matter once and for all.


	11. Chapter 11

Richard woke up to find Mérida still sleeping over him. It had really happened, it hadn´t just been some wonderful dream. He stroked her cheek softly until she opened her eyes. Both smiled

-Mornin´- She said, stretching and sitting up.

-Good morning- he answered. –Mérida, is it really true? Are we really getting married today?-

She laughs and his heart sinks.

–We´re not?-

-Of course we are, mom has probably sent invitations to everyone in DunBroch already, prepared a feast and a party; it was just fun, the way you asked-

They stare at each other for a moment before Mérida continues –Come on, I probably have to wear some tight formal dress for this- Both exit the room and walk down to the hall, were preparations are almost finished. Richard couldn´t help but being surprised at the amount of similarities between modern weddings and what he now witnessed.

There was a long carpet and an altar, along with several rows of benches for the clansmen, the hall had been decorated with tapestries and flowers. A group of men with bagpipes stood in one end of the room. The queen herself supervised everything, giving instructions the clansmen.

When she saw them coming she headed to them. –Mérida, I need you to come with me, we must get you ready- Mérida sighed, faced with the possibility of a very tight corset. –Richard, I you´ll excuse us– They head away from the hall to a separate room. Once inside she admits what truly worries her. –Mérida I can´t find you father. He didn´t arrived at the castle last night nor did he told me where he was going-

None of them seem alarmed –Mom I´m sure he´ll be fine. Anything out there, can´t be any worse than Mor´du-

-That´s not wot worries me Mérida, he is after all the king. For the wedding to take place you need both our blessings- She sighs –I´ve sent men to look for him. Until they return we need to get you ready-

-But, Richard´s clan, the Macintosh, aren´t they invited? –

The Queen slaps herself in the forehead –Of course! Your father must have gone to give them the news personally! How could I miss…Never mind. If he left yesterday, he´ll come back in a few hours, come on- She instructs, walking towards a wardrobe, she takes out a glittering green dress.

Mérida is dismayed -Mom, do I have to wear a formal dress?-

-Try it, I think you´ll find it very comfortable-

And she does; no corset, no ridiculous gown hiding her hair, loose, just the way she likes it.

After that they head to another room, where an old man sitting in front of a canvas waits.

-Hello princess. Joyful is this day indeed. Please take a seat- He points towards a small chair in the middle of the room.

A painting? She had never posed for that before, actually paintings were quite strange in the castle, and most of the family memories were preserved in tapestries. Meanwhile the man has started his job.

Her mother seems to read her thoughts –This is a special occasion, we´ll sew the tapestry together later-

-Now princess, smile please- The man instructs. Mérida tries her best.

-No, no, that won't do. Maybe you could think of something happy, it is after all the day of your wedding-

She tries again, but again the old man is displeased.

The door opens unexpectedly and Richard comes in, Mérida´s face glows with joy.

-That´s it! Hold it right there! - The man begs and paints as fast as he can.

-Young Macintosh this is highly inappropriate! - The Queen scolds –You´re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding.

-I am truly sorry my Queen, I will leave immediately- He begins to walk out of the room.

Mérida doubts before interrupting –Richard wait! - He stops. She nods towards the painting.

As he looks towards it his heart skips a dozen beats. It´s the painting in the museum; the same that brought him here in the first place.

-It´s beautiful- He states before leaving –Just like you-

After he leaves and the picture is finished the Queen fits a tiara made of laurels over her daughter´s head.

-You are ready-


	12. Chapter 12

The Queen left Mérida to the care of Maudie and some other maidens of the castle to give her some last advice and went to look for the groom.

-Young Macintosh! - She called when she finally found him. –Are you ready? - She asked, inspecting him.

-Indeed my queen-

-But…you can´t expect to be married dressed up like that!-

He looked at his outfit; he should have guessed that he would need something formal. But where was he going to get anything of the sort?

-Wait here- she instructed obviously frustrated. She left and returned shortly carrying clothes.

-This was the wedding kilt of my husband. I would be honored if you wore it today-

He looks at the clothes she has brought; amazingly they seem to be his size.

-Yes, he was much smaller when we married- The Queen adds as a joke.

Richard takes the clothes and leaves to try them on, they fit very well. When the queen sees him she smiles, probably remembering days of old. She slowly takes a ring from her finger, it´s silver and has a big emerald encased into it.

-And this was my wedding ring- She slowly places it into his hand –Give it to her-

He can´t do anything but smile –I will-

Mérida now stands in the altar, Richard is about to give the long walk over the carpet to face her. He gives his first, nervous steps, slowly picking up a pace that resembles the one coming from the bagpipes.

The crowd sitting to witness the wedding looks at him and at the bride, so beautiful, so very, very beautiful.

After what seems an eternity, he reaches the altar and faces the smiling princess.

The Queen herself precedes the ceremony –People of DunBroch- She begins –Joyful is this day indeed in which Princess Mérida, my daughter, is to be married with one of the heirs of the Macintosh clan…- She continues, for minutes, maybe even hours that pass by with Richard and Mérida exchanging looks.

-…- Richard notices then Queen has stopped. –Richard- she whispers –The ring-

Oh! He had almost forgotten, he slowly takes the jewel and places it on Mérida´s finger.

-And now, by the power the people of DunBroch bestow me, I declare you…-

-STOP! - The yell echoes in the hall, it comes from the entrance, King Fergus´s yell. He enters the room, towering over every man in sight. But looking specially menacing next to the smaller Lord Macintosh and his son.

-Elinor, stop this! That man is an impostor!-


	13. Chapter 13

**OK, most sucky chapter ever; wait for the end, it´ll get better, I promise.**

And no one seems to breath, everything stops.

-Fergus…wot…wot is this?-

-The truth, maybe ye should hear it from the Macintosh themselves- He says standing aside to let the figures pass.

Richard and the original firstborn lock eyes, it´s like looking into a mirror, they don´t talk, it´s up to Lord Macintosh to settle this matter, and he does so in his very special way, swinging his mace…

-Changeling! Ghost! Apparition! Ye are not my son! - The ball of the mace flies loose and destroys a chandelier.

After that tiny burst of rage the groups stare at each other, Mérida confused, Fergus enraged, the Queen meditative.

-Take him to the tower, we´ll settle this matter- are the only words she speaks

-Mom!-

-Mérida enough! - She interrupts, looking at her daughter

And the lords leave towards a separate room as Richard is picked up by guards and taken to a tower in the castle; they threw him in and locked the door.

So close, he was so close…

Meanwhile the Lords of DunBroch and the Macintosh clan held a conference in a separate room.

-We understand this is highly irregular- starts Queen Elinor

-It´s more than irregular! - Interrupts her husband.

-It´s an outrage! - Agreed lord Macintosh

-BUT! - She silences both of them –Mérida has chosen, and if we learned anything from the incident it´s that we must respect her decision-

She waited until everything was silent before continuing.

-Now, it´s tradition that she be married with one of the sons of the lords and seeing he isn´t one…-

-The wedding must be cancelled! - Interrupts the king once more, a wide smile on his face

-No, I suggest, lord Macintosh; that you take him as your son-

All of them stare at the queen –WOT!?-

-It´s complicated I know, but it´s the only way to…-

-Never! I have only one son and heir!-

-And of course the Macintosh clan would rise to be the ruling clan along with us-

-He is my flesh and blood I would never….- He stops dead in his tracks, trying to rephrase that last part, when he finally comprehends it he looks at his son –It seems you have a new brother- he gives him a pat on the shoulder.

-It´s settled then- the Queen states, triumphant

-No, it´s must certainly not settled! - And with that Fergus stormed out of the room, determined to talk some sense into his daughter.

He found her in her room, striking her bedpost with her sword, as she always did when something angered her terribly.

He sat in her bed, next to her wee body. The cushion gave in a little under his weigh.

-Mérida…- he began, but he was unsure on how to continue.

-Da- his daughter interrupt –I love him-

He tries to maintain a serious face, but he has always had a soft spot for her wee girl.

-I know…and that´s wot worries me. Those close to you are the ones who can hurt you the most-

-Why would he do that?-

-I do not know, just…I feel something isn´t quite right with him-

-Da- he feels her soft hands on his face and remembers when she was just six –He won´t, I know it…I´m going to marry him and he´s going to make me very happy-

He should be angry, he should impose himself, but he just can´t. He´s never been able to; not with her, not with his wife.

-Besides, I will always be your wee girl, I´ll always be there for ye-

-With him at yer side?-

-With him at my side-

-Very well then- he steps out of the room


	14. Chapter 14

**Nearing the end, I really like this chapter, what do you think?**

As Richard looks out the window wondering what´s going to happen next he hears the door open.

He turns around expecting to see the hulking figure of king Fergus, but is shocked to be greeted by the delicate figure of fiery hair that is his only and true love.

-Mérida, wot are ye…?- he begins, but is cut short as she rushes by his side and kisses him on the lips.

-My parents have approved of the wedding! - She announces breaking the kiss.

-Really?!- He asks amazed.

-Aye- she answers smiling and stands up –But, we don´t have to wait do we?-

He doesn´t understand what she means, that is until he notices she is getting rid of her dress, exposing the corset beneath it.

They embrace each other, the moment is perfect…the sharp pain on his side returns, what is it this time?

He has come to realize that something cuts him under the kilt and looks for the strange object to remove it; triumphant he takes it from his robes…and stares in horror at his finding.

It´s an arrow tip, stainless steel, broad head, used for hunting, no place for it in this century.

His body stiffens and he drops the arrow tip, stretching one last time towards his love, his true love, his only love…

-Richard? Wot´s wrong?-

He speaks her name one last time –Mérida…- before being pulled out; the walls of the room are further away every moment as is the girl he worships.

Her terrified screams still echo in his ears as everything is swallowed by darkness

–Richard! RICHARD! RIIIICHAAAARD!-

He opens his eyes, sweat washes over him, every muscle in his body aches; the room is the same he has just abandoned but is now covered by displays of all shapes and sizes.

-No…- he whispers in desperation –no...No..NO! - He staggers back to his feet, trying to reach the room where the hypnosis first took place. While he walks he repeats in his mind "It´s…it´s August the first 1004, I´m back, I´m back…" but he isn´t "God please…"

Halfway to the tower he meets security guards, three of them –That boy has been living in the museum for two days- One states –Be kind enough to show him the exit-

The remaining two grab him by the arms and start dragging him outside the castle, he has lost.

Through tear-filled eyes he gives one last look at the displays, several he had somehow managed to miss before…had they even been there in the first place?

A bow, the one he carved, he can read the plate under it.

"This bow is the first example of sights for benefit of the archer"

A very old, yellow piece of paper; with handwriting on it.

" This typical song of the Scottish Highlands had been little spread until recent years, when the rock music group "Aerosmith" used it as an inspiration for the popular song "I don´t want to miss a thing".

And finally a rusty, decayed, pointy piece of metal.

"This is perhaps one of the greatest mysteries to ever shock the archeological community, forged in stainless steel and with the shape of a modern hunting broad head it was the Princess´s of DunBroch most prized possession. Based on tapestries we know that she wore it as a necklace until the day of her death. The source of this piece remains unknown"

He closes his eyes, defeated.


	15. Chapter 15

**Last chapter, thank you for sticking with me to the end.**

-Richard! Richard open this door!- the thing, black haired woman yelled while giving angry knocks on the wooden surface- I am your mother and I order you to open this door!- She gives up, twenty minutes of similar commands have been fruitless.

-Tom, help. He´s been locked up in his room for a week listening to Aerosmith and some song in Gaelic- she places her ear over the door –Listen, there it is again-

The muscular man with short black hair, standing next to his wife does the same –Mmhh, I don't want to miss a thing. It´s a good song-

-Tom!-

-The boy just wants some privacy Martha! It´s the age!-

-This has nothing to do with him being a teenager, he doesn´t eat, he doesn´t go to school, he doesn´t even sleep…-

-And how would you know that?-

-Because I haven´t slept either. Now open the door-

-Alright! Alright!- The man gives in and takes a few steps back before yelling –Son I respect your privacy by knocking the door but reaffirm my authority as your father by going in anyway-

And with that he gives a mighty kick and the door slams open. They see the figure of their son lying on his bed with a radio that still plays net to him.

-See, told you he was alright. Sorry son, it was your mother´s idea, you know her-

The woman walks next to his son´s bed and upon looking at him her heart stops.

-Tom…- she manages to mutter –Tom he isn´t alright- his face is a pale green and his once muscular body is withered and skeletal. –Call an ambulance!- She says

Richard looks around him, whiteness, purest white everywhere, except for one figure standing in front of him…

-Took ye long enough- a voice he knows well says.

-I know, I´m sorry-

-It matters not, we are together…- he can see the green dress now.

-Ye waited for me, after all this years-

-I would have waited a thousand more…-

-Shall we?- He offers the crook of his arm at the red haired girl, she takes it smiling.

**And that´s all folks, hope you enjoyed this as much as I did, please review!**


	16. Ae fond kiss

**Just a traditional scottish song that made me think of this story. You can find it in youtube just by searching the title :)**

'Ae Fond Kiss'. Sung by Eddi Reader.

Ae fond kiss and then we sever  
ae fareweel, alas for ever  
deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee  
warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee

who shall say that fortune grieves him  
while the star of hope she leaves him  
me, nae cheerful twinkle lights me  
dark despair around benights me

I'll ne'er blame her fiery maiden  
nothing can resist my her fancy  
for to see her was to love her  
love but her, and love for ever

- whistle and accordion

had we never loved sae kindly  
had we never loved sae blindly  
nor never met, nor never parted  
we would never have been so broken-hearted

fare thee weel, my first and fairest  
fare thee weel, my best and dearest  
thine be like joy and treasure...  
peace, enjoyment, love and pleasure

mmm, ae fond kiss, and then we sever  
ae fareweel alas, for ever  
deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee  
warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee

I'll wage thee  
I'll wage  
I'll  
I'll wage thee  
my best and dearest  
ah my treasure, ea-ah  
bye-bye baby  
[heart-wrung] I'll wage thee  
bye-bye baby [...]


End file.
